Woman arrested after Border Patrol finds meth hidden in back seat cushions

El Centro Sector Border Patrol agents arrested a woman suspected of smuggling methamphetamine at the Highway 86 checkpoint Friday morning.

Agents said the 26-year-old woman was stopped at the checkpoint at about 10 a.m. A canine alerted agents to her car. Agents discovered five packages wrapped in plastic inside the back seat cushions of the car, according to a release.

The woman is a permanent resident of the United States, authorities said.

The packages tested positive for methamphetamine and weighed a total of 17.82 pounds. The narcotics are estimated to be worth $57,024 on the street.

“Drug smuggling organizations go to no end to further transportation of their illegal narcotics”, said Assistant Chief Patrol Agent David Kim. “I commend our agents for their continued hard work to protect our country from these illegal dangerous drugs.”

The woman, the narcotics, and her car were all handed over to the Drug Enforcement Agency for further investigation.

Agents said El Centro Sector has seized more than 523.19 pounds of methamphetamine since Oct. 1, 2016.